Gayle King calls Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes affair ‘messy’ and ‘sloppy’
King works as a lead co-host for ‘Good Morning America’s’ rival show ‘CBS Mornings’
Former ABC News hosts and "Instagram official" romantic couple T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are launching a podcast where "nothing is off limits," and one former ABC insider is calling the spectacle "gross."
Holmes and Robach posted a smiling photo of themselves on Wednesday, embracing with the caption "How's this for Instagram official? #silentnomore." The affectionate photo promotes their new weekly iHeartMedia podcast titled "Amy & T.J." that launches next month.
Their relationship, which began while they were married to other people, came to light late last year and resulted in them being benched for two months from "GMA3," the dayside ABC show they co-hosted from 2020 to 2022. Insiders told Fox News Digital as the saga was ongoing at the end of 2022 and into 2023 that the affair was brutal for the family brand that is so important to Disney, ABC News' parent company.
In the end, the pair agreed to exit ABC, but now they're back with a show beginning Dec. 5, where they could break their silence on the scandalous relationship that was clearly more serious than a fling.
Former ABC News hosts T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach, who lost their jobs earlier this year after their affair dominated tabloids and caused internal drama at the Disney-owned network, came out as "Instagram official" on Wednesday. (Arturo Holmes/WireImage)
A former ABC insider said the relationship was an open secret before it was first exposed by the Daily Mail last year, adding they couldn't believe it took so long to come to light.
"It was just something people gossiped about, but I guess they were not discreet," they told Fox News Digital, adding the notion of the podcast was "just gross."
"It was hugely embarrassing," the insider said of the affair going public, as well as for the staffers who worked on "GMA3" while it dominated tabloids. "People are trying to work, and it's a privilege to host [a show] and have people listen to you."
The pair got plenty of support on their Instagram announcement, though.
NBC's Al Roker simply wrote, "Welcome back."
Former NBC host Billy Bush, who was fired from "Today" in 2016 over the infamous Donald Trump "Access Hollywood" tape incident, praised them as well and seemed to allude to his own media scandal.
"Bravo. Shame works if you let it. Be happy and kick --. I will download that pod and take it running," he wrote.
In a release announcing the new show, iHeartMedia announced the pair would "collaborate on a full slate of upcoming programming for iHeartPodcasts."
ABC CONDEMNED FOR HANDLING OF ROBACH-HOLMES SCANDAL: ‘BUSYBODY MEDDLING’ IN CONSENSUAL AFFAIR
"Hosts and executive producers Robach and Holmes are a formidable broadcasting team with decades of experience delivering headline news and captivating viewers nationwide. Now, the duo will get behind the microphone to explore meaningful conversations about current events, pop culture, and everything in between," the release said. "Nothing is off limits. ‘Amy & T.J.’ is guaranteed to be informative, entertaining, and above all, authentic; it will mark the first time Robach and Holmes speak publicly since their own names became a part of the headlines."
ABC News president Kim Godwin was forced to deal with an affair between two prominent anchors, T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach, last year. The pair eventually left the network. (ABC )
Holmes and his ex-wife Marilee Fiebig settled their divorce last month, while Robach finalized hers with actor Andrew Shue in March. Holmes and Fiebig had a daughter together; he also has two children from his first marriage. Robach has two children from her first marriage to Tim McIntosh.
When the scandal first broke, ABC News initially declared that Holmes and Robach would not be disciplined for their relationship, as both parties were considered consenting adults. They went on the air the same week their relationship hit the tabloids, and Holmes and Robach even joked on the air about having a "great week."
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The following Monday, ABC News president Kim Godwin did an about-face and pulled Holmes and Robach off the air, claiming the "distraction" had become too significant.
Holmes, Robach and ABC News didn't reply to a request for comment.
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